Nightmares
by BAJ
Summary: To rescue Jim, the crew of the Outlaw Star will have to fight an enemy they would never expect. Now complete
1. Default Chapter

Here we go folks. I am a big fan of Outlaw Star. It is truely one of the most  
underated Anime's out there. So I just had to write another fic. This takes  
place about a 3-4 months after the series ended. By the way I do not nor do I  
claim to own any of these characters. This is a completly fictional story.  
Alright now that, that is out of the way enjoy!  
  
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The Outlaw Star had just finished docking at Kalbeta space port. The  
gang was headed inside the space station as the Outlaw Star was being reloaded  
and rearmed. For once money was not a problem as Gene had recently taken down  
a wanted man with a rather large bounty on his head. So for once everyone was  
planing on having some fun.   
  
"So Gene what are you going to do?" asked Jim  
  
"I think I will head out to.......have some fun." said Gene with a  
devilish smile. Jim and Melfina then shot Gene a evil look. "I meant a club!"  
said Gene in his defense.  
  
"That wouldn't be a Strip Club, would it!" asked an annoied Melfina  
  
"No,no ah.......... a Dance Club.....yeah" said Gene  
  
"Dancing?!" said Melfina "I have never been dancing, can I go?"   
  
"What.......well........oh alright." said a disappoited Gene. Gene  
then looked at Jim with vengance on his mind "So Jim what are you going to  
do" he asked  
  
"Me......oh....I mumblemumble" muttered Jim quietly  
  
"Your going to the Arcade! Allright I'm coming!" said Aisha  
  
(Dam Ctarl Ctarl ears) thought Jim  
  
(Paybacks a bitch) thought Gene  
  
"Alright Aisha you can come, but this time your not going to get me  
to give you more tokens." said Jim  
  
"We'll see!" said Aisha with a smile "So Suzie what are you going to  
do"  
  
"How many time do I have to tell you not to call me that" said Sazuka  
with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice. "and if you must know I am going  
to find a spa to relax in"  
  
"Well, how about we meet back here for Dinner, we have enough for a  
nice meal don't we?" said Melfina  
  
"Sure, we do Mel. Thanks to me." said Gene  
  
"Alright, why don't you deflate your ego and go dance." said Jim as  
he began to head to the Arcade with Aisha close behind.  
  
  
----------------------------later----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Aisha was busy with a VR game called Galactic fighter while Jim was   
busy with a simple game of Darts. Jim already gave her a few tokens despite  
him saying that he wouldn't.   
  
Jim looked at his watch and realized how late it was getting. "Aisha  
we better get going."  
  
"Let me finish this game......." she responded  
  
"O.k. but make it quick. We have to meet the others for dinner" said   
Jim  
  
Minutes later Aisha had lost her game and was demading another token.   
Jim eventally got her to head out the door. As the pair began to walk twoards   
the meeting point Aisha began to complain how the Arcade game were fixed and   
some how bias to the Ctarl Ctarl. Jim mostly ignored her, but when a high   
yelp came from her he quickly turned to see a large man holding her head   
from behind her. Her arms were pinned to her side and her legs were kicking  
but not connecting.  
  
"Put her down!" yelled Jim as he pulled a small gun from his jacket   
and pointed it at the large man. Jim manuvered around to get a good angle  
and said "I don't know what you want with her but you better put her down"  
  
"Well, kid who ever said we were after her" said the man  
  
Before Jim could respond a second man hit Jim in the back of the  
head with something. Jim fell to the ground out like a light.   
  
"JIM!" screamed Aisha "you'll pay for that you bastards." Aisha then  
wiggled her way to her captors arm and bit it as hard as she could. Her fangs   
peirced the skin followed by a metal sheeth. Then her fangs peirced a pair   
of wires. Her scream of pain that followed was deafaning as her body was   
shocked by thosands of volts of electricity. The Ctarl Ctarl warrior then   
fell to the ground appearing to be dead.   
  
The former captor looked at his arm now severly damaged and hanging  
limp at his side. "You Bitch! Look at my fucking arm!" said the man  
  
"Relax Growler" said the other man now holding Jim over his sholder.  
"We got what we came for" said the man  
  
The pair then walked away taking Jim with them.  
  
Meanwhile, back at the meeting point. Gene and the others were  
getting worried. Aisha being late was nothing new but Jim being late was   
very strange.  
  
"I am getting worried Gene, Its been a whole hour. Where are those too."  
asked Melfina  
  
"I don't know but, I am going to find out." said Gene  
  
"I will help" said Sazuka  
  
Just as the pair began to turn the corner they saw a staggered and  
severly injured Aisha appear.  
  
"Gene......you've.....got to........" said Aisha before she began to  
colapse.   
  
Sazuka quickly caught her and the group rushed her back to the Outlaw   
Star.  
  
---------------later--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Back at the Outlaw Star, Melfina assitied Sazuka in bandaging their  
freind. Soon Aisha awakened and when she saw where she was. She began to panic.  
  
"Gene......Gene. They have him. You have to get him back....I'm sorry.  
Oh by Ctarl Ctarl I am sorry. I should have stoped them, done something. Now  
he might be dead and its all might fault. Oh Gene I'm so sorry!" ranted Aisha  
  
"Whow, whow...Slow down. Who do they got and who are they in the first  
place." said Gene  
  
"Gene they took Jim......I don't know who they were but before I  
lost it I heard them say one of them say their name was Growler." said Aisha  
  
"Oh crap, Aisha tell me everything that happened." said Gene  
  
Aisha then went about telling the whole story in detail to Gene.  
  
"O.K. were looking for a cyborg named Growler with a busted arm. Sazuka  
you come with me. Mel you stay with Aisha."  
  
"No! I want to go!" commanded Melfina  
  
Gene was taken aback by Melfina as it was very rare for her to be so  
demanding. "But......Mel"  
  
"Gene, Jim is like family to me just as he is to you. I will help you  
get him back!" said Melfina  
  
Gene looked at his lovers eyes and saw just how serious she was.  
"Alright......Aisha will you be alright on your own?" said Gene  
  
"Of corsue I will..........I am (cough).....I am a Ctarl Ctarl I just  
need some time to rest" said Aisha weakly  
  
"Alright, Giliam tell me where the closest Cybernetics shop is" said  
Gene   
  
"Understood,.......The closest shop according to station info is one  
block away." said Giliam "I have take the liberty of printing a map for you."  
  
"Alright lets find Jim!" said Gene  
  
  
-----------------later-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"So you have never heard of this Growler have you" said Sazuka as  
she held the Cybernetics shop's owner by his throat.  
  
"Well....ah...put me down and I might!" said the man as he struggled  
against the assasin's grip. Sazuka did and the man began to talk. "Check the   
back room 4. He and his partner Joey are there now."  
  
"Oh really, well let us go introduce ourselves." said Gene  
  
Minutes later the tiro busted in the door to room 4 to find a small  
man working on a larger man's cybernetic arm.   
  
"Alright Growler where is Jim?" said Sazuka  
  
"Jim?" said Growler "Hey Joey who is Jim?"  
  
The man working on his arm looked up and said "Got me!"  
  
"You took him earlier today." said a angry Melfina "Where is he!"  
  
"Oh the kid, the one with the Ctarl Ctarl. How did you know we did it?"  
asked Joey  
  
"That Ctarl Ctarl you mentioned told us" said Gene  
  
"Well, so the bitch lived huh, those Ctarl Ctarl really are tough as  
nails." said Joey "I guess when I kill you I will have to me more consistant."  
Joey then pulled a gun from his Jacket, but before he could point it Sazuka   
dashed in front of him and slamed him in the head with her sword.   
  
"Joey!" said a shocked Growler "You Bitch,look what you did to Joey!   
I guess I'll have to show you why they call me Growler." Growler then reared   
back his head and began to growl. The growl grew louder and louder and then   
he roared. The roar was ear spliting and it emideatly dropped Sazuka and Gene  
to their knees in pain as they held their ears. Growler kept up the assult   
but failed to notice that Mel was unaffected.  
  
As a bioandriod Melfina could regulate her senses. She could   
hear as carefully as she liked or not at all. So she was able to block  
Growler's assult. Now Melfina was not the violent type. Normaly she would avoid  
fighting if possible. However, these were not normal times. Mel ran and grabed  
a steel pipe from a trash been in the corner and when Growler was not paying  
attention. She jumped in front of him and shoved the pipe in his mouth knocking  
a few teeth out in the process.   
  
Gene enjoyed the quiet but quickly got to his feet and ran to his fallen  
foe. He then pulled his caster gun and pressed it to Growler's temple. He   
then said "Alright loud mouth where did you take Jim"  
  
The now nervous and afraid Growler spit out the teeth Melfina had  
knocked out and said "Alright, alright, we just took em to a Doc named  
Kaza. He paied us 5000 wong for him. We ussally brought him adults but this  
time he said he needed a kid. Your freind is the first one we found. We took  
him to whare house #13 near the space docks. Thats all I know I swear!"  
  
Gene then said "I belive you, but I'm still gona kill ya!"  
  
"What, but I told you!" said Growler  
  
"Oh yeah. In that case," said Gene as he reared back and punched  
Growler in the face breaking his nose and knocking him out. The Trio then  
left the pair and headed outside. When outside they found Aisha waiting for  
them.   
  
"Aisha what are you doing here. You should be resting." said a concered  
Melfina  
  
"Relax, Mel. I am a Ctarl Ctarl I heal real fast. Now have you found  
where Jim is" she asked  
  
"Yeah, but are you sure your up to it?" said Gene  
  
"Of course, Now lets hurry. We got to get Jim back." said Aisha "If   
we don't get him back who will fix my gameboy!"  
  
Gene smiled but realized that Aisha was feeling very guilty and   
was hiding it with humor. She may still have been hurting but there  
was no way that she was going to go rest. She was going to save Jim or   
die tring.  
  
  
on to CH 2 


	2. conclusion

Here is Ch #2  
  
  
The group quickly made it over to dock 13 and as susspected  
the place was locked tight. Gene decided that knocking was out of the  
question. So he pulled a mini bazzoka from his cape and blasted the door  
into oblivion.   
  
Once inside the group found a long hallway. About halfway down the   
hallway a gigantic door slammed shut behind them. Gene and the others knew  
that would probably happen but at least they had their enemies full attention.  
  
A voice was then heard "Uninvited guests hmm...well I am afraid  
that will not do.........no..no...I am almost ready but, I am not finsihed.  
No..not finshed, not finshed, not finshed, No!" the voice barely stamered out.  
  
Gene then looked to Sazuka and both were thinking that the man they  
heard was obviosly mentaly disturbed. "Hey, screwball. Yeah you......You must  
be that Dr. Kaza fellow huh?" said Gene  
  
"Ya know he is holding us captive, insulting him may not be the best  
move" whispered Melfina  
  
"Oh so my reputation precedes me does it........yes it does.....of  
course it does....." said Kaza  
  
"Now tell us.." said Aisha  
  
Sazuka cut her off and said "tell us what your working on. A great mind  
such as yours has to have something worthy to show us."  
  
"Oh yes,yes,yes.....I have a wonderful project.....yes...it is almost  
done.....You want to see" said Kaza  
  
"We would" said Sazuka  
  
At that moment one of the walls of the hallway opened up. The group  
walked through the door and what seemed like a movie began to play on the wall.  
  
"The Space Forces yes......" said Kaza who appered from the shadows.  
"They gave me a job.....project Gilgamesh......a job. I was to make a bio  
warrior. Something strong and powerful that could be reproduced. I didn't  
know I was allowd to use real people against their will. They didn't tell  
me that. So they cut the ties to me......they let me go, they let me go.  
So I came here and wanted to finish. I tried.....I tried but I couldn't get  
it right. The minds wouldn't accept the information. See look." said Kaza  
as he pointed at the screen.   
  
The group was horrifed at what they saw. The men and women were  
semeingly turned into monsters, dead monsters. It was at this moment that  
group began to truely fear what happened to Jim.   
  
Kaza then continued his ranting "But then I understood. They were  
to old. There minds wouldn't accept the info all at once. I had to start  
with a young mind and work my way up. I have now susscued. I have already  
completed the body and soon I will have completed the mind. Then I will make  
clones and then the Space Forces will have to welcome me back. I'll go back,  
I'll go back, I'll go back."  
  
Aisha had heard enough. Before any of the others could stop her she  
jumped over the Gene and landed next to Kaza. She then lifted him into the  
air by his shirt and screamed "WHERE IS THE BOY!"  
  
"Right here" said Kaza as pulled away a curtain.   
  
"The group stood in horror of what they saw. There in a tank not unlike  
Melfina's was what looked like Jim. He was in nothing but a pair of shorts and  
his body was severly altered. He had many implants in his body. Claws on his  
fingers, What looked like a gun of some sort on his sholder and larger white  
fangs. Not to mention that is body looked like that of a pint size body-builder.  
  
"Dear God!" said Sazuka  
  
Aisha now more guilt ridden then ever said "I'll kill you for this"  
  
"Wait" said Gene   
  
"WAIT?!" said Aisha  
  
"Listen, he made him this way, he will turn him back." said Gene  
  
"What no, I don't want to" said Kaza  
  
"Fuck what you want!" screamed Aisha "You will turn him back or I  
will rip your heart out!"  
  
"vvvverrry welllll" said Kaza as he shuddered in fear of the Ctarl Ctarl  
warrior.  
  
Sazuka stood watch for hours as Kaza removed the implants one by one  
the procedure was grusome. However when he was finished Jim looked normal once  
again.   
  
"Alright now wake him up." said Gene  
  
"Wait.....yes the mind is far enough along now!" said Kaza  
  
"What?!" said Gene  
  
"You didn't tell me to fix that" said Kaza  
  
Gene then pulled his Caster gun and pointed it at Kaza and said "I am  
in no mood to play games you psycho. Now fix him"  
  
"No" said Kaza  
  
"you sure as hell better" said Aisha  
  
"You see.....now.....yes now I can use him as a weapon to fight   
back. I implanted every known fighting style and killing technique known  
in the universe. From simple human karate to Ctarl Ctarl Deathblade techniques.  
So put simply he is know a walking killing machine." said Kaza "and now he  
is under my control. Project Gilgamesh, codeword: nightmare."  
  
Before the others could react. Jim sat up from his cot and emidetly  
went after Sazuka. Jim would jump and swing and kick at the assasian. Every  
attack aimed at a vital area. He was using some very deadly techniques that  
had obviuosly been implanted in his head.  
  
"Jim listen to me it is Sazuka. You know me. You would never do this  
to me. Please Jim" said Sazuka  
  
Jim seemed unphased by Sazuka's words and continued his assult. Gene  
was the next to try as he grabed him from behind and picked him off the ground  
  
Gene then said "Jim, remeber. Please Jim its me Gene. Come on litte  
buddy, we have been togetheir for years you better not leave me now."  
  
Jim again seemed unphased as he back head-butted Gene in the face and  
jumped away. Kaza seemed to enjoy his creation as he would smile and laugh  
each time Jim would attack. Meanwhile Aisha finnaly got Jim pinned to the  
ground. "Jim I am sorry, Please snap out of it. Come on where is the overly  
worried, overly mature kid, that we all know and love. Please Jim....." said  
Aisha. For a second Jim seemed to react which truely got everyones (including  
Kaza's) attention, but it was all for not as Jim snapped back and bit down  
hard on Aisha's arm. Out of reaction Aisha pulled away and Jim was able to  
get loose.  
  
Jim did 3 backflips and made some distance between himself and the   
others. He then found a knife laying on one of the tables. He picked it up   
and began to twirl and handle it like a master would. He began to run twords   
the trio but before he made much distance Melfina got in his path. Jim   
stopped in his tracks as he saw Mel holding her arms out to block his path.   
  
"Mel get out of the way!" yelled Gene  
  
Melfina ignored her lover's orders and looked at Jim. "Jim listen to  
me, You are the best of us. Everyone aboard the Outlaw Star depends upon you.  
Your the kindest, nicest, and smartest person I have ever known. Ever since  
I was activated you have been the nice to me. You never take advatage of me.  
You always treated me with love and respect. I don't care how much this psycho  
has messed with your head you are still Jim Hawking and I know you would never  
hurt me." she said  
  
Jim raised his blade and prepaired to hurl it and yet Melfina did not  
move a muscle. He only stood there a staired. He then began to cry. Tears  
froming in his eyes. He then lowered his blade and began to sob. Melfina went  
to comfort him but before she could Kaza spoke up and said "You pathetic   
creature kill her now!"  
  
Jim looked up at Kaza and once again rased his blade. This time however  
it was aimed at Kaza himself. Kaza could only think of one thing to say   
"Oh shit!"  
  
Jim hurled the knife at almost lighting speed. The blade ended up  
imbeaded in Kaza's throat and after a few gurgles and coughs. He colpased  
face first onto the ground. He was very messy and very dead.  
  
Jim then turned to Melfina and said "Mel can we go home now."  
  
  
---------one week later---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
The past week had been hell for the young boy. Nightmares consitantly  
woke him up. His appetite was thin and he was getting weaker by the day.  
Despite almost round the clock attention from the crew (mostly Aisha and Melfina)  
he was only getting worse.  
  
The medical scans done by Gilliam proved to be little help. Physicaly  
there was nothing wrong with him. Mentaly his brains were still scrambled.   
  
One night while Melfina watched him sleep she was almost to the point  
of crying. His Orange juice and toast for breakfeast were barely touched  
He had nothing to eat or drink all day. He had attempted to sleep most of  
the time but was constantly waking up from horrible nightmares. Melfina  
thought back to the day she spent with Jim right after they first met. He bought  
her a dress took her to lunch and dinner. Treated her better then any person  
had in her short exsistance. He got her a place to sleep for the night.  
He was the kindest person she had ever met. She looked at his sleeping form   
and then said alowd "No, I can't let this happen" she then picked up Jim in  
her arms and attempted to carry him to the cockpit. Unfortuantly Jim  
was heavier then he looked and she had to stop to rest.   
  
While she stopped Gene appeared at her side and said "Melfina what  
are you doing."  
  
"Gene....I can't let it go on like this. I think I can help Jim" said  
Melfina  
  
"What how,?" said Gene  
  
"If I take him to my chamber I might be able to help him fight off his  
demons" said Melfina  
  
"But Mel, why didn't you do this sooner" asked Gene  
  
"Because it is a little risky. If I fail to help him he might end up  
worse off than before. But I just can't stand seeing him like this. Not anymore."  
said Melfina  
  
"Alright, If your sure about this" said Gene as he picked up Jim  
  
"Positive" said Melfina  
  
Minutes later the rest of the crew was awakened to see if Jim would  
be healed. Melfina stood above her pod as she held Jim. As she sank downward.  
Aisha and the other could only watch and pray.   
  
In the other relm that could only be described a cyberspace. Jim awoke  
he saw the nude form of Melfina in front of him. Her hands covering herself.  
Now Jim had seen her before like this, it was nothing new. Yet he still felt  
embarresed and turned away. "I'm sorry" thought (or said) Jim.   
  
"Relax Jim I am here to help you." responded Melfina as she touched  
the back of his head. "Here to defeat your demons"  
  
Then in a flash of light Melfina could hear Jim's mind. She now understood  
why he had such horrible nightmares. His mind was full of violent images and  
death and destruction. His primal urge to kill was off the ricter scale. She   
was now truely amazed that he was able to suppress it. She knew that she  
could delete all of this. As if it were a computer file. The problem was  
She didn't know how much to delete. Too much and Jim is a vegetible. Too little  
and she is no help. She only had one shot and she had to guess.   
  
Meanwhile outside the chamber, Gene paced back and forth in worry.  
Aisha was bowing her head and clasping her hands togetheir as she prayed to  
her Ctarl Ctarl Gods. Sazuka sat quietly and seemed to be speaking queitly  
to some Gods of her own. Then a lound clang was heard. The trio looked to  
see Mel and Jim arise from the capsule. Jim was still in her arms.  
  
"Well," said Gene  
  
Melfina raised her head from the boy's form and said with a smile   
"He will make it, he will be fine."  
  
Gene smiled and took Jim from Melfina. He then said "Thank the gods,   
all of them he said looking at Aisha as she smiled."  
  
The next morning Jim awoke to find all 4 of his freinds by his bed.  
All of them asleep. He rembered little from the day before. Only that Melfina  
had saved his life. He went to her and shook her awake.  
  
"Mel.....Mel wake up" said Jim  
  
Mel slowly opened her eyes to see Jim before her. "Jim!" she practicly  
yelled, waking the others in the process.  
  
"Melfina thank you for saving my life" he said in his most sincer voice  
  
Mel said nothing and grabbed him for a hug. With tears of joy in her  
eyes she only said "your welcome"  
  
Gene then bent down to eye level with his freind and said "Don't you  
ever scare me like that again pal"   
  
"I'll do my best" said Jim  
  
Gene then patted him on the head and stepped back.  
  
Sazuka smiled at him and said "I am very happy that you are  
alright Jim, but you should get some rest you have had a rough few days."  
  
"O.k., but I kinka hungry and.." said Jim  
  
"I'll get started" said Melfina cutting Jim off. She then dashed to  
the kitchen and took Gene and Sazuka with her.  
  
As Jim chuckled he heard a final voice "Jim, I know you can't forgive  
me but I am sorry. It was all my fault" said Asiha  
  
Jim turned to see Aisha crying. A sight none of them had ever seen.  
"Aisha, its not your fault." he said  
  
"Yes it is, if I had stopped those men or if I had left the arcade  
when you said so or" said Aisha  
  
"I forgive you Aisha" said Jim cutting her off.  
  
"You do!" she said  
  
"Of course" said Jim  
  
"Jim you are the best" she said as she grabbed Jim in a bear hug.  
  
"Aisha...........Aisha........" said Jim "I need to breath"  
  
"Oh sorry,sorry,sorry" said Aisha as she let go now feeling guilty again.  
  
"Its alright, come one lets go have some breakfest" said Jim  
  
"Tonight, Jim I am going to cook you some Digi-double stew" said Aisha  
proudly as they entered the kitchen.  
  
"Hey I just came close to death I have no asperations to doing it   
again." said Jim  
  
"HEY!" said an annoyed Aisha as Mel and Gene laughed at the joke. Sazuka  
smiled and sipped her tea.  
  
----------THE END------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Well, what do you think, good, bad, ugly. I am open to all coments so be sure  
to let me know via review and/or e-mail. Thank you for reading and be sure  
to check out some more of my works. Thanks again.  
  
Jab Man  



End file.
